Muharram

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What is Muharram?

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar (Hijri) calendar, marking the start of the new Islamic year. As the opening month of the twelve-month cycle established in the Qur'an, Muharram carries special weight as a time of renewal and reflection for Muslims worldwide, even though the Hijri New Year itself is not marked by any prescribed religious celebration.

The name "Muharram" comes from the Arabic root ḥ-r-m, meaning "forbidden" or "sacred," the same root that gives us words like haram (forbidden) and ihram (the pilgrim's sacred state). The month is called Muharram because warfare and fighting were traditionally forbidden during it, a custom of sanctity that predates Islam and was preserved and elevated by the Qur'an.

Muharram is associated with several significant historical events. Chief among them is the story of Prophet Musa (Moses) and the Israelites, whom Allah saved from Pharaoh by parting the sea on the tenth day of this month, known as the Day of Ashura. Muharram is also remembered for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, at Karbala on the tenth of Muharram in 61 AH, an event mourned across the Muslim world in different ways.

Religiously, Muharram is one of the four sacred months (al-ashhur al-hurum) named in the Qur'an, alongside Rajab, Dhul-Qi'dah, and Dhul-Hijjah, during which bloodshed and wrongdoing are especially discouraged. The sanctity of these months underscores the importance of peace, restraint, and heightened God-consciousness at set points in the Islamic calendar.

The most emphasized act of worship in Muharram is fasting on the Day of Ashura (the 10th), often paired with a fast on the 9th (Tasu'a) to distinguish the practice from that of the Jewish community, following the guidance of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Muslims are also encouraged to increase acts of charity, remembrance of Allah, and general righteousness throughout this sacred month.

Significance of Muharram

• First month of the Hijri year: Muharram opens the twelve-month Islamic lunar calendar, counted from the Prophet's ﷺ migration (Hijra) to Madinah.
• One of the four sacred months: Muharram is one of four months the Qur'an singles out as especially sacred, during which fighting is strongly discouraged.
• Home of the Day of Ashura: The 10th of Muharram commemorates Allah's rescue of Musa and the Israelites from Pharaoh, and is marked by a recommended fast.
• A season of renewal: Many Muslims use the start of Muharram as a time to reflect on the past year and set spiritual intentions for the one ahead.

References in Qur'an & Hadith

"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred." — Surah At-Tawbah 9:36

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The year is twelve months, four of which are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar, which is between Jumada and Sha'ban." — Sahih al-Bukhari 4406

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Fasting the day of Ashura, I anticipate that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year before it." — Sahih Muslim 1162